Ukraine crisis: EU imposes sanctions on Russian over Crimea

The EU has agreed to impose travel bans and asset freezes against 21 officials from Russia and Ukraine, BBC reports.

The move follows Sunday’s referendum in Crimea, in which officials say 97% of voters backed breaking away from Ukraine and joining Russia.

The so-far unnamed individuals targeted by the sanctions are seen as having played a key role in the referendum, which Kiev, the US and EU deem illegal.

Pro-Russian forces have been in control of Crimea since late February.

Moscow says the troops are pro-Russian self-defence forces and not under its direct control.

The crisis follows the ousting on 22 February of Ukraine’s pro-Moscow president Viktor Yanukovych, who had sparked months of street protests by rejecting a planned EU trade deal in favour of closer ties with Moscow.

The EU announced its new sanctions after a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels.

Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevic tweeted that further measures were expected to be taken in the next few days.

Russia earlier proposed the formation of an international “contact group” to mediate the crisis and seek changes in the constitution that would require Ukraine to uphold military and political neutrality.